Air Force Athletics

Air Force will be piloted by 2nd Lt. Connor Dietz in bowl game

Senior quarterback Connor Dietz will be 2nd Lt. Dietz when the Falcons play Rice in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 29. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)

AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Air Force is down to its final two practices at the academy before traveling to Fort Worth, Texas, for its Dec. 29 meeting with Rice in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Senior quarterback Connor Dietz has only one practice remaining on home turf, though.

Dietz will be at Tuesday's practice but has a previously scheduled event Wednesday when his teammates will practice again before going home until Dec. 24, when the Falcons assemble in Fort Worth.

Dietz's graduation ceremony is Wednesday. He will be a commissioned second lieutenant in the Air Force when the Falcons resume their bowl preparation on Christmas Eve.

"Maybe just briefly," coach Troy Calhoun said Sunday when asked if Dietz could mix the graduation ceremony with a stop at practice Wednesday.

Dietz was slowed by an assortment of bumps and bruises toward the end of the regular season when the Falcons lost three of their last four games. Calhoun predicted Dietz would be 100 percent for the bowl game. The Falcons and Owls are both 6-6.

"He should be rippin' and roarin' in two weeks," Calhoun said of Dietz, who has 1,127 yards and eight touchdowns passing and 658 yards and five touchdowns rushing this year.

The Falcons were together for a short time Sunday while mixing final academic examinations with football. The session lasted a little more than an hour before the players went to the classroom for a 3:45 p.m. exam. Tuesday's practice is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and Wednesday's at 9:30 a.m.

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Calhoun may not know the depth chart for his offensive line until the Falcons' Dec. 24-27 practice sessions in Fort Worth.

The availability of junior center Austin Hayes and junior guard David Lore remains a concern because of their knee injuries. When Hayes was injured, Calhoun moved senior Jordan Eason from guard to center.

Calhoun is preparing the Falcons for their sixth consecutive bowl game in his six years as coach. He believes teams change more before a bowl game than at any other part of the season.

"You have to wait and see what direction the change is going to be," Calhoun said. "We'll find out for us against a really good opponent."

The Falcons need to beat Rice to have a sixth consecutive winning season at 7-6. "You've got to earn it," Calhoun said. "Having the seven come before the six wouldn't be all bad."

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